Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic
10th Annual Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic
Directed by Shihan Cedric Barksdale
Brooklyn, New York • June 2009
Shihan Cedric Barksdale hosted the 10th Annual Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic on Sunday June 14, 2009 at the Humboldt Street YMCA in Brooklyn. The Chief Referee for this event is Shihan Cleve Baxter the head of the USANKF Referee council. Most of the East Coast Referees from the USANKF were there.
Destiny Vergara won Kumite and Kata
Destiny Vergara with Sensei Edwin Concepcion
Alfredo Villagran performing Heian Yondan
Marika Watanabe perform Gankaku Kata
Ryu and Marika Watanabe with their awards
Ryu Watanabe perform Enpi Kata
Alfredo Villagran with his awards
Shihan Kai Leung with Shotojuku Members
Shihan Kai Leung with Shotojuku Members
Shihan Cedric Barksdale with Master La Puppets wife and Sister award the Grand Championship Trophy to the Kata Champion from Canada.
We congratulate Shihan Cedric Barksdale for a successful event and looking forward to 2010!
9th Annual Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic
Directed by Shihan Cedric Barksdale
Corona, New York • June 2008
The 9th Annual Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic was held at the Louis Armstrong Activity Center in Corona Queens, New York. The tournament was a NYTKL sanction event.
Shihan Cedric Barksdale introducing the officials for the event
The event was directed by Shihan Cedric Barksdale a senior student of Master Thomas La Puppet. Shihan Cleveland Baxter was the Chief Referee. The event was held on one of the hottest days of the year. With the help of Shihan Baxter and all the officials, the tournaments finish on time. This year, the Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic award went to Shihan Errol Bennett of Bronx, NY.
Gabriel Marin
3rd place kumite
Jackie Soto place in both Kata and Kumite
Sebastian Acosta (R) place in Japanese Kata
Joey Castro (3rd L) Won the 2008 Kata Grand Championships
8th Annual Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic
Directed by Shihan Cedric Barksdale
Corona, New York • June 2007
We had a great time at the 8th Annual Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic. Many of the tri-State area’s top dojos attended this memorial event in honor of the late Master Thomas La Puppet.
Master Thomas La Puppet
Shihan Leung with the late Master Thomas LaPuppet and dancer/actor Gregory Hines
The event was directed by Shihan Cedric Barksdale and Shihan Cleve Baxter was the Chief Referee.
This year, the Thomas La Puppet Memorial Classic awards went to Shihan John McClary of Philadelphia, PA, and Sensei Dee Villanova of Brooklyn, NY.
Nine Shotojuku members competed and took home 12 medals plus the Kata Grand Championship Trophy, won by Sebastian Acosta. Our members included Sebastian Acosta, Tony Skuflic, Elvis Mujakic, Jacqueline Soto, Eric Soto, Raif Ekici, Yusuf Tuncer, Alfredo Villagran and Alan Levi.
Shihan Leung and Mr. Michael Soto helped out in the judgin
Shihan Leung, Sebastian Acosta, Alfredo Villagran, Jacqueline Soto, Michael Soto and (C) Eric Soto
Shihan Leung (r) and Shihan Barksdale(L)
with Kata Grand Champion Sebastian Acosta
Tony Skufic winning medals in both Kata and Kumite
Shihan Leung with Jacqueline Soto winning a medal in Kumite
Shihan Leung with Raif Ekici winning medals in both Kata and Kumite
Shihan Barksdale, Shihan Leung, Shihan Wiles, Shihan Baxter and Shihan Aschkar, NYTKL Founders
Shihan Leung and four senior instructors from the New York area got together earlier this year and founded the New York Traditional Karate League. We are going to start organizing and awarding points to athletes that compete in our traditional events in 2008.
We congratulate Shihan Cedric Barksdale for a successful event and looking forward to next year’s event!